1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and particularly to a method and system for pre-exposing information on a filmstrip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Single use cameras have been developed in which the camera manufacturer loads an unexposed film cartridge into the supply chamber of the camera, and continuously winds substantially the entire length of the filmstrip out of the cartridge into a film roll contained within the camera. When the customer exposes and winds all available imaging areas on the filmstrip back into the cartridge, the single-use camera is sent to a photofinisher who removes the filmstrip from the single-use camera. The filmstrip is then processed, and the single-use camera is discarded or recycled.
Sometimes the purchaser of a single-use camera wants to customize the photographic prints or slides received from the single-use camera. The customization may consist, for example, of a specific symbol, indicia, figure, message, or corporate logo, etc. on a portion of each print or slide.
The prior art placed indicia on a portion of each print or slide by adding a small transparent plate (containing the desired indicia) or small transparent strip (containing the desired indicia) into the light path within regular cameras or single-use cameras. The indicia on the transparent plate or the indicia on the transparent strip would block incoming light during exposure of the filmstrip and a shadow image of the indicia on the transparent plate or transparent strip would appear on the resulting print or resulting slide. Some of the disadvantages of the foregoing method are: the appearance of a black edge around the indicia on the resulting print or resulting slide; the degradation of image quality surrounding the indicia on the resulting print or slide due to the passage of light-forming rays through the transparent medium; the limitation of shadow images necessarily being black in color and therefore not readily visible against dark backgrounds; the cost of an extra part added to the camera; and the necessity of adding the information to all available imaging areas on the filmstrip.